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Better be wise than sorry

A combined operation by the Police and Security Forces is now in full swing to smoke out possible LTTE suspects who may have sneaked into the city to carry out acts of mayhem and destruction.

According to latest reports over 900 persons have been rounded up, among them five hardcore LTTE suspects in the operation code named "Silent Night" that covered the Colombo City Zone.

Such an operation was in fact long overdue specially given the impunity with which the LTTE carried out its assassinations of intelligence operatives, political opponents and the most diabolical killing of the country's Foreign Minister.

One now wonders had a proper security plan been in place if at least some of these killings could have been prevented.

But sadly, on the premise of not jeopardizing the Ceasefire Agreement Colombo dropped its intense security surveillance that was in place prior to the CFA and provided an open sesame for the LTTE to expand its undercover activity in the City.

How else could one explain the penetration of a High Security area such as the residence of Minister Kadirgamar.

The dropping of guard obviously provided increased mobility for the LTTE and a free run to carry out clandestine operations. One dreads to think the extent of infiltration post-CFA which provided a carte blanch to the LTTE to come and go to the City as it pleased.

Events show that the lull in security activity had bolstered the LTTE to establish more cells in preparation for any eventuality.

The attempted assassination of Minister Douglas Devananda by a woman suicide bomber right opposite Temple Trees was a good pointer to the preparedness of the LTTE during the CFA.

It is in this context that the public should grasp the importance of the current search operations and cooperate with the law enforcement authorities.

Any inconvenience it may have to undergo should be endured for it is their own protection that is at the centre of this action. It is better to be wise than sorry as the old saying goes.

The Government on the other hand should take all measures to ensure that the current operations is carried out with the minimum hassle to the public. The men carrying out these raids should be enjoined to be courteous to residents and desist from any ham fisted conduct.

Under no circumstance should innocent people made to suffer through unwarranted grilling and undue harassment especially where members of the opposite sex are concerned.

It is over this aspect that the PA Government drew much fire not so long ago from Colombo's CWC Parliamentarians which led to the appointment of a Committee to look into complaints.

Therefore the Government should take extreme care not to antagonize a section of the Community in its quest for ensuring their own security.

It is also high time the Government puts in place a watertight security scheme to guard against attacks on vital targets. The moribund apparatus of the past three years should be overhauled and detection methods upgraded to match the wiles of the enemy.

House to House searching while having its merits could also enlighten the enemy on what to expect and attempt other methods of evading detection, while routing checking of bus passengers at sentry points could also have the same effect.

It is also incumbent upon all political parties especially the opposition UNP to lend its total backing to whatever security scheme introduced by the Government to protect the public without playing politics because it is a united effort that is called for to face the present challenge.

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